How to lose weight in 3 months with this expert-approved workout plan

We're in the last quarter of 2018. Which means, it's about time you consider how to revive that New Year resolution before you find yourself taking the same one in a couple of months. Luckily for you, we spoke to some fitness experts to help you with the most effective exercises for you to power through and lose weight before 2019.

When it comes to weight loss within 3 months, there are multiple factors to take into consideration such as individual dietary habits, metabolism, current body fat percentage etc. According to Junaid Kaliwala, fitness trainer at BigMuscle Nutrition, your diet plays a significant role in changing your body for the better. He says, "To begin with, you should first find your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) which can easily be calculated online. Subsequent to that, calculate your current caloric input. Once you have an idea of how many calories you are ingesting, create a caloric deficit with respect to your BMR. I would suggest not to reduce more than 200 calories below your BMR."

Another important aspect of ensuring weight loss in 3 months is to include weight training as a primary part of your exercise routine, according to Kaliwala. In case you hit a plateau, the trainer advises you to add some low-intensity cardio like walking or cycling into your fitness regime to accelerate fat loss. Kaliwala is of the opinion that 80 per cent of your workout should be compound exercises like bench press, squats, deadlift, overhead press etc. and the remaining 20 percent should comprise isolation exercises like barbell curls, lateral raises and so on. His advice is to try to hit each muscle group at least twice a week for optimal results.

How to lose weight in 3 months: Exercises to help you shed that stubborn fat

When it comes to weight loss, you know it's as simple as getting out of bed and hitting the gym every morning. But more often than not, you find yourself looking for excuses to procrastinate your workout. Now, since you've just got 3 months to achieve your goal, we've got you a quick weight loss solution, that's also expert-approved. Here are some simple exercises you can perform at home to lose weight and get fit, according to Shalini Bhargava, fitness trainer at JG's Fitness Centre.

1. Goblet Squat

While performing this exercise you must always ensure that you stand tall with your feet at shoulder-width apart. Start by holding a dumbbell vertically next to the torso with both your hands cupping the dumbbell's head. You must try and lower your body as far as you can by pushing your hips backward and keep your knees bent. Take a break, then push back to the start position and replicate but ensure that during the entire movement you keep the weight in your heels and not in your toes. Elbows should point downwards towards the ground and brush internal sides of your knees as you lower yourself further.

Do's of squats

o Load your hips and hamstrings

This can be achieved by tilting your chest forward and driving back your hamstrings. It will enable you to efficiently target the right and precise group of muscle. It will also let you hinge at the hips with your back flat and uphold suitable torque through your arms and legs. It will further help to strengthen your stance.

o Distribute mass in the centre of your feet

Just visualize yourself screwing your feet into the floor with your body weight being dispersed over the centre of them. Keep in mind that you must keep your whole foot on the floor while performing squats.

o Squat stance

An extensive stance will allow you to maintain your torso in an upright position. Placing your feet outside of your shoulders is the most widespread squat stance applied in sports.

Don'ts of squats

o Collapsing of knees

In case your knees are collapsing internally towards each other when performing a squat exercise, it will do nothing but cause a lot of heaviness in the ligaments of your knees, which ends up taking away the strength focus from your hips.

o Passing of knees in front of your toes

Driving your knees in the forward direction while performing a squat will add an additional tightness on your knees and ankles, which usually ends up producing a lot of agony and discomfort.

o Hip line not passing

Failing to bring your hips down to the level of your knee will lead you to lose the range of motion in your squat, which later will instigate a lot of aches owing to the absence of elasticity and movement that was produced by not performing it correctly.

2. Push-Ups

Start the workout by placing your hands on a box, bench, or step somewhat broader than and in line with your shoulders. Gradually lower your body until your chest nearly touches the bench. Take a break at the bottom, and then push back up to the initial position as fast as possible. Perform standard push-ups with hands being placed on the ground, or make it even more challenging by raising up your feet on a box. Always remember, the higher the box, the harder the exercise gets.

Do's of performing push-ups

o You must practise partial reps in the position of the full push-upsurging your range of motion as you get robust till the time you are able to come all the way to the ground without losing form. You must perform as many full reps as you can and this should be followed by dropping down to your knees and performing more reps.

o Do vigorously press away from the floor with the help of your hands. Your shoulder blades should be spread apart at the top of the move, in the similar way as you would do while performing a plank workout. This averts your shoulder blades from sliding internally and will engage your shoulder and back muscles for better forte and steadiness.

o You should move as a solitary, solid unit, lowering with a firm and steady body all the way down then pressing back up in the similar pattern. The lower and firmer your body will be during the move, the more you can concentrate on using your torso and triceps to perform the work.

Don'ts of performing push-ups

o Avert from dropping down your abdomen or hips, as this will definitely put weight on your lower back. As an alternative, you can squeeze your glutes and vigorously push your heels away toward the opposing wall to involve your posterior chain and keep your hips in place, lessening pressure on your spine.

o You must not forget to inhale. Breathe as you lower toward the floor, then breathe out as you press back to the start position. Oxygenated muscles will be able to accomplish and perform much better and you will be able to push out a few more reps if you recollect to respire.

o Refrain from changing your placement of hand to alter the emphasis of the move. The broader your hands are, the more you occupy your pecs; the closer your hands are the more you involve your triceps.

3. Inverted Rows (Elbows Out)

Begin the workout by grabbing a weight bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. By standing beneath the bar, you must allow your body to hang, while your arms are stretched out straight. Ensure your body is forming a straight line right from your ankles to your head. Gently pull the shoulder blades backwards, with your arms as you elevate your chest to the bar. Take a breather, then lower body back to beginning position.

4. Romanian Deadlifts

To execute this workout, take hold of a pair of dumbbells, with your feet being hip-width apart and knees marginally bent. By holding the weights in front of your thighs, ensure your palms face in. Shift your hips backwards and take two seconds to lower the dumbbells while you keep your back flat. Take a one second break and then return to the position from where you started by tightening your hamstrings and glutes.

5. Stationary Bike Tabata Workout

The Tabata protocol is an effective workout method wherein you are required to perform twenty seconds of powerful exercises followed by ten seconds of rest for a total of eight cycles. Although it is just a four minute workout towards the end, you must feel like you can't and don't want to complete another interval. To start the exercise, make use of a stationary bike, warm up for 5 to 10 minutes. After you are done with your warm-up session, you must sprint hard and must bike very slowly. You must duplicate the workout for a total of eight rounds.

6. 25-Minute Sprint Fartlek Exercise

This is a very simple form of long distance run. This form of workout amalgamates stable state (non-stop) training with intervals of speed in a formless format that fortifies both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. The speed and intensity differs whenever you want. You must either walk, jog or sprint for any expanse or interval of time, and in any order. This is a very impulsive and fun form of training.

Here are some other basic, short cardio exercises you can perform on a daily basis to lose weight:

o Start jogging for a time interval of eight minutes o Run fast for four minutes o Sprint for about twenty seconds o Walk for one minute o Sprint for about thirty seconds o Walk again for one minute o Now sprint for about ten seconds, followed by walking for one minute o Do a 5 minute jog o Complete a fast run for one minute to finish your exercise burst and then cool down by simply walking for five to ten minutes towards the end.